Strategic Planning Council

Charge to the Strategic Planning Council

August 22, 2012

1. The charge to the council is to build upon and integrate the significant planning work that has already been done by developing and proposing a strategic plan that will serve the university for the next three to five years. The strategic plan should guide the work and decision making of the university, ensure accountability, and allow flexibility to respond to changing circumstances.

2. The expedited strategic plan, to be approved in February 2013, should be guided by and seek the fulfillment of the university mission and strategic priorities. It should also support the advancement of university initiatives in diversity, sustainability and technology.

3. The council has responsibility for determining the content of the strategic plan. It will build upon and bring together the plans completed in recent years. Existing plans should be reviewed in light of our current circumstances. Only the most critical initiatives should be incorporated into the strategic plan; an important part of the work of the council will be to prioritize and to limit the number of initiatives to be included.

4. The council will carry forward a revision to the strategic priorities recently approved by the Board of Trustees: the addition of Great Student Experience as a priority that expands Formation for Leadership and places it within the broader set of academic, co-curricular and social experiences that comprise the student experience.

5. The strategic plan should thoughtfully respond to the external environment and prepare us for anticipated changes in higher education. An environmental scan prepared by the consulting firm Hardwick Day will be presented to the council by September 1.

6. The strategic plan will be inspired by a vision of what the university has the potential to become over the next ten years. This vision will also drive the development of a capital campaign. The work of strategic planning will need to help prepare for, inform, and support the success of the campaign.

7. The planning council is expected to achieve a difficult balance. There is no point to making small plans and the strategic plan is expected to be aspirational. At the same time, the university's plans must be credible, fundable, and achievable.

8. This process will build upon the consultation that has already taken place by engaging stakeholders as fully as possible.

9. The council should develop a strategic plan that is of interest to people, easily understood, and explains the story of Seattle University. It should also serve as the basis for a companion document that defines resource needs, measurable objectives, and responsible parties.

10. The council will develop specific deliverables for upcoming Board of Trustee meetings as follows: November – preliminary document with key findings; February – proposed plan.

11. The product of this strategic planning process is recommendatory to the President and Cabinet.